Serious concerns have been voiced about the lack of urgency in dealing with chronic staffing shortages in Wales’ embattled maternity units.

Serious concerns have been voiced about the lack of urgency in dealing with chronic staffing shortages in Wales’ embattled maternity units.

In a report published today into maternity services, the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee accused the Welsh Government of failing to act quickly enough to deal with poor staffing levels in Welsh hospitals.

The report also warned that the quality of care available to expectant mothers in Wales may not be sustainable because of the severe pressures on resources.

Experts called for more midwives to be recruited as a matter of urgency to tackle the issue.

And Darren Millar, the committee’s chair, said the problems uncovered by the report must be “urgently addressed”

“The committee found that, in the main, maternity services in Wales delivered positive experiences for most patients,” he said.

“But we also found a lack of urgency in the Welsh Government’s progress which, at a time of stretched resources and radical changes in approach to the provision of all services by local health boards – this concerned us greatly.

“This report is the latest in a series of reports in recent years produced by this Committee or its predecessor, and the Wales Audit Office.

“All have raised similar points about the provision of services and their sustainability in a climate of staff shortages and squeezed resources.

“We call upon the Welsh Government to recognise and urgently address these concerns.”

During their inquiry, members were also told of the high rate of caesarian section births in Wales, with the procedure accounting for almost one in four deliveries.

The Committee said that although progress has been made since an earlier report on the issue in 2010, there was still significant scope for improvement.

The report makes 12 recommendations, including a call on the Welsh Government to rule clearly on what constitutes minimum staffing requirements for safe and sustainable midwifery and obstetrics services.

The report also called on the Welsh Government’s to clarify what it means by a “significant reduction” in caesarean section rates.

Staffing levels have remained a concern throughout the whole of the NHS, with the report coming just a day after urgent calls were made to increase staff numbers following the revelation that more than half of dignity spot-checks in Wales’ hospitals had raised concerns about patient safety.

During the committee’s inquiry, chief executive of the NHS in Wales David Sissling said health boards were working hard to make sure top-quality care was delivered in maternity services.

He said: “We’re trying to deliver sustainable and world – class maternity services in Wales.

“The health boards are clearly continually working to improve services. We are very much looking to the boards to take forward their configuration plans and their assurances that they are taking into account sustainability issues and discuss relevant issues with the Deanery so they can demonstrate that their plans will provide quality services for years.”

Professor Jean White, chief nursing officer and co-chair of the All Wales Maternity Services Implementation Group, told the committee that there had been an increase in the number of midwives by 65 across Wales.

She said: “There’s fluctuation every year with the number of midwives. We require all the health boards to comply with guidance that is given out.”

But following today’s report, Julia Chandler, the Royal College of Midwives’ National Officer for Wales, said it was vital that action was taken immediately by the Welsh Government to address staff shortages.

She said: “There is no doubt that more midwives are needed in Wales. The shortfall is not huge, but it is significant enough and the Welsh Government needs to take action now to prevent this situation from worsening.

“We also need to at least sustain the proposed increase in the number of midwives in training in years to come. Further cuts in numbers will have a negative impact on the quality of maternity care that women receive.

“There is also no doubt that the Welsh caesarean section rate is high. Adequate midwifery staffing levels will enable midwives to give women more support and time to help them make a more informed decision on how they deliver their baby.

“We now need to see the Welsh Government’s stated commitment to maternity services turn into action.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The numbers of midwifery training places commissioned has increased again this year from last year’s numbers.

“Decisions about training places are based on what the NHS needs to maintain services, service development, the numbers and age profile of staff and the drop-out rate from the courses. Clearly plans also takes into account the student midwives who are already in training and when these are expected to graduate and enter the workforce.

“NHS organisations are responsible for ensuring that they have the appropriate number of staff and skill mix to meet fluctuating demand. Since 1999, the maternity workforce, including midwives and midwifery support workers, has increased by 12% in Wales.

“We require all maternity units in Wales to comply with Birth Rate Plus – as recommended by the Royal College of Midwives – on the number of midwives required to deliver safe services.”

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